MLB Player News

Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday in an extra-innings loss to Houston.

Smith homered for the second straight contest, slugging a game-tying two-run shot to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning. The star catcher continues to be a steady and potent force in the heart of the Dodgers' lineup, slashing .306/.479/.583 with three long balls, eight RBI, six runs and a 10:11 BB:K over his past 11 games. Smith's 1.12 BB/K ranks second behind only Luis Arraez among qualified major-league hitters this season.

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta.

Vazquez has submitted a palatable .708 OPS thus far in June, but that hasn't been enough for him to gain sole possession of No. 1 catching duties from Ryan Jeffers, who has been swinging a hotter bat of late. The two backstops have now alternated starts over the last eight games.

Murphy is not in the lineup Monday versus the Twins.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in his return Sunday from a hamstring tweak, but he'll grab a breather Monday as Atlanta opens a three-game series versus Minnesota. Travis d'Arnaud is catching and batting fifth.

Godoy cleared waivers Monday and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Godoy was optioned to Norfolk last week following an abbreviated stay with the big club, but he'll now move off the 40-man roster entirely with the Orioles needing to clear a spot for infielder Jordan Westburg, who was called up from Triple-A. After clearing waivers, Godoy will remain in the organization as catching depth at the Orioles' top affiliate.

Heim went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

Heim's second-inning home run was his 11th of the season and fourth in the last eight games. The catcher, who was given a rest Friday, had four hits over the two weekend games. Keeping Heim fresh is a goal for 2023 after he tired in August and September of 2022 under the weight of a career-high 450 plate appearances. Thus far, he's maintained a .283/.332/.482 line over 271 PAs.

Raleigh went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 3-2 loss against the Orioles.

Raleigh took Kyle Bradish yard in the second inning for a two-run homer that plated Eugenio Suarez and marked the catcher's second homer in four games. Over that four-game stretch, Raleigh is hitting 6-for-17 (.352) with five runs scored and four RBI while striking out only twice.

Heineman was removed from Sunday's win over the Athletics with left side discomfort, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Heineman appeared to tweak something on a swing during the eighth inning and was unable to finish the plate appearance. The 32-year-old is serving as Toronto's backup catcher with Alejandro Kirk (hand) on the injured list, so the club may need additional catching depth if Heineman will be unavailable for more than a day or two.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.

Diaz started the past eight games and will receive a day off after going 10-for-34 with two doubles, three homers and six RBI during that span. Martin Maldonado will work behind the plate while Corey Julks serves as the designated hitter.

Contreras went 4-for-4 with one double and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Cubs.

Contreras went 0-for-4 against the Cubs during Saturday's loss, but he bounced back Sunday and notched his first four-hit game of the season against his former team. It's been a struggle for the 31-year-old backstop during his first season with St. Louis, and even after his big offensive day in London, he's still slashing just .216/.304/.372 across 70 games (283 plate appearances).

Sanchez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez started the past four games and will receive a breather after going 4-for-13 with a home run, four walks, three RBI and three runs. Austin Nola will step in behind the plate to catch for Seth Lugo.